Areas of Seven Chinese Provinces Enter ‘Wartime’ Mode Following COVID-19 Outbreaks

A medical worker takes a swab sample from an infant for COVID-19 test in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, on Jan. 7, 2021. STR/CNS/AFP via Getty Images

Areas of Hebei, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Henan, and Ningxia provinces, as well as Inner Mongolia and Beijing announced that they entered “wartime” mode over the weekend due to surges in COVID-19 cases.

“Wartime” mode typically means that restrictions are placed on when residents can leave their homes, and almost all public facilities, such as schools, stores, stadiums, and parks, are closed.